The Philadelphia 76ers are prepared to offer Jimmy Butler a max contract extension this offseason if they acquire him via trade from the Miami Heat, sources tell Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Butler has $48.8 million guaranteed for next season and a player option for $52.2 million for the 2025-26 season. Butler would like a two-year max extension worth $113 million. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald followed up Pompey's report by indicating that "whether it's from the Heat or another team, [Butler] wants a max extension."

While Butler has said he wants to remain with the Heat, there is believed to be some level of reluctance to extend him this offseason.

The Sixers could offer future draft capital and cap relief to the Heat as they have enough cap space to absorb his contract without sending back anything in return.

Philadelphia would prefer to sign Paul George, but Butler is a secondary option.

The Indiana Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors this past January with both the player and team anticipating a probable long-term contract coming in the offseason. Siakam and the Raptors were unable to agree to an extension, which led to a trade for a package centered on Bruce Brown Jr. and three first round picks.

The Pacers are reportedly preparing a five-year max contract offer to Siakam.

"They understand it's a maximum level contract commitment you're going to have with Pascal Siakam," said Shams Charania. "That's what they're preparing to offer him this summer. He wants to be there. There's mutual interest in getting a deal done."

Charania expects the summer "to be a little quiet" for the Pacers with internal improvement more likely than significant roster change.

Bronny James will stay in the 2024 NBA Draft as an Early Entry Candidate. The deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the draft and return to college is Wednesday, May 29. James will not be returning to USC, nor transferring.

James began the pre-draft process as a likely undrafted player. After the draft combine and workouts, James has moved solidly into second-round range. He may climb even higher after NCAA and international players with draw from the draft.

Already regarded as a solid defender, James has shown improvement as a shooter and playmaker in the pre-draft process. He's also filled out his frame and has cleared every medical test. The latter was crucial after he surgery to repair a heart defect last summer.

Dallas Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber is expected to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, barring a late setback ahead of the game. Kleber is returning from a separated shoulder that occurred in Game 6 of the first round.

Kleber has been out since that first-round series clincher on May 3. At one point, it looked like Kleber's season might be over. However, the Mavericks said that Kleber's return would be dependent on his recovery and how deep the team's playoff run goes.

Dallas is on the verge of clinching a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals. The Mavericks lead the Timberwolves 3-0 heading into Tuesday's Game 4 in Dallas.

Egor Demin has committed to BYU for the 24-25 season.

Demin is a projected lottery pick in 2025 who is currently playing for Real Madrid.

Demin is a 6'9 guard from Russia. 

The Indiana Pacers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics from the Eastern Conference Finals in four games despite playing three incredibly close games.

The Pacers had at least a 90 percent win probability in the fourth quarter of Games 1, 3 and 4, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. 

"For a young team like us, this experience in the playoffs is second to none," said Andrew Nembhard, who finished with a team-high 24 points in Game 4. "A lot of our first times. A lot of little things we maybe wanted to do better and we learned how these games go and what being in a series feels like."

"I can tell you like, yeah, we're going to learn from it and it's going to happen, but it's not guaranteed," Siakam said. "I know how hard it is to get to this point. It's unfortunate. You want to give credit to the other team because they took advantage of every mistake that we made. They did well.

"But for us, it's been hard, like heartbreaking losses after heartbreaking losses. Yeah, you're going to be encouraged by it and you hope to put the right amount of work to continue to get better. Because we need to be a lot better if you want to compete with those teams. And understand it doesn't matter how good we played, we didn't get it done."

Sam Presti admitted that he "missed" on the Gordon Hayward midseason acquisition at his end-of-the-season news conference on Tuesday.

"I missed on that. That's on me. But I'm learning, I'm trying to learn this team, I'm trying to learn the pace of the team a little bit," said Presti.

Hayward averaged 5.3 points in 17.2 minutes during his time with the Thunder.

Hayward described his time with the Thunder as 'disappointing' last week. 

"I don't think I read that one perfect, and I'm learning from that in terms of bringing somebody midseason and especially early on in the process for our team," added Presti.

The Washington Wizards are looking to re-sign Tyus Jones this offseason, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Jones, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, is expected to have several suitors.

The Wizards are also deciding between drafting Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 2 pick, according to Scotto. 

The Utah Jazz are expected to explore trading their first-round picks this upcoming draft, including the No. 10 pick.

The Jazz also have the No. 29 and 32 pick in the draft.

Jazz owner Ryan Smith is looking to add more star power to the roster.

The team is also interested in working out Bronny James.

The Boston Celtics are returning to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. In 2022, they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games after initially taking a 2-1 series lead. 

Boston has reshaped large portions of their roster over the past two seasons while Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are more developed players.

"We feel like we're a different team than we were last year and the year before that," Jaylen Brown said. "I know everybody wants to continue to kind of pigeonhole us to what was happening in the past but we've had a different team every single year, different coaches, we've had like three coaches in the last five years. And still people want to make it seem like it's the same, it's the same, it's the same.

"Time has gone by, experience has been gained and I think we are ready to put our best foot forward."